


Home for Breakfast

by melagan



Series: Home for Breakfast [1]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-16
Updated: 2016-11-16
Packaged: 2018-08-31 07:03:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8568823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melagan/pseuds/melagan
Summary: John discovers how very much he likes breakfast.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the McSheplets prompt _Routine_.  
>  Beta by em_kellesvig

Home for Breakfast

He quickly shaved, dried his face, and pulled his black tee shirt on over his head. A glance in the mirror proved he'd wiped up all traces of shaving cream and that his hair…well, he didn't have time to mess it with it now or he'd be late for breakfast. Atlantis opened the door for him before he could ask and John hightailed to the mess. 

He hadn't bothered to check the menu, deciding to leave it as a surprise. Sometimes the mess had the good stuff: real eggs, bacon, warm fluffy waffles with maple syrup – the real deal, not some colored corn syrup knock-off. He liked those mornings a lot. 

Admittedly, it wasn’t always that good. There were plenty of mornings when the cooks served reconstituted eggs accompanied by what everyone else could only hope was yesterday’s leftovers. No one was ever really sure. Rodney referred to those meals as meat-guess and bowel roulette. Those mornings John stuck to coffee, powdered eggs, and biscuits. He'd had the mystery gravy on his biscuits just one time. He wouldn't make that mistake again. 

Then there were the truly creative mornings when the cooks turned breakfast into Kitchen Surprise Day as they tried to use up an over-abundance of native foodstuff. Kitchen experiments aside, those mornings weren’t half-bad. His team was together, the food was at least interesting, and Ronon had a running bet that the cooks couldn't come up with something he wouldn't try. Powered egg and meat-guess breakfasts not included. Ronon had also tried the gravy. 

He caught the heady scent of bacon and toast wafting through the air. This was going to be a good morning. John grabbed his tray and didn't waste any time filling it. He picked up an extra muffin to go with his already full tray. It was a fair bet that between Ronon and Rodney he'd lose at least part of his breakfast. Carefully balancing his tray, he made his way over to their usual table.

It wasn't a surprise to see Rodney already sitting there. He had his mug of coffee in an iron grip that he doubted even Ronon would succeed in prying loose. "How's the not-bacon this morning, McKay?"

Rodney brushed the remaining crumbs off his breakfast his shirt and looked up. "Oh! Muffins!"

Resigned to the inevitable, John sat down and handed over his muffin with barely a shake of his head.

Ronon and Teyla joined them five minutes later. They shared some good-natured teasing, good coffee, and had no immediate crisis looming. Something that could have been called contentment bloomed in John's chest. Now this was the way to start the day. 

***

Sometimes breakfast ended up as a power bar on the run. Those mornings were uncomfortably common. The last time it happened came from an unscheduled gate activation. Lorne's team had run into some unfriendlies that took offense to strangers walking into their village minus a formal introduction. In retrospect, Lorne confessed to John that it made sense. That kind of caution reduced the odds of a Wraith worshipper slipping in, but he sure could have done without the screaming and pitchfork waving. 

Since they weren't about to fire on innocent villagers, their mad dash back through the gate saved lives. John thoroughly approved of saving lives. And even more so of getting Lorne and all of his men back in one piece. There was just one tiny, insignificant part of himself that resented missing breakfast. 

Funny thing, he'd eaten breakfast plenty of times pre-Atlantis, most mornings in fact, he’d couldn't recall looking forward to it this much before. 

His thoughts shied away from why that might be – or who. Entertainment value, he supposed. That had to be it. McKay was entertaining. Smart, irreverent, got John's jokes and …and….  
Sometimes, the syrup made Rodney's lips shiny. Sticky and shiny and he’d stop in the middle of talking to lick them. His pink tongue would poke out between his lips and lavishly swipe across his lower lip. 

John found it impossible to look away, despite the way it made his breath hitch. After the last time, he’d looked down to see that he’d clutched his biscuit in his hand so tightly he’d turned it into a ball of crumbs. A glance at Teyla and Ronon caught them frozen mid-chew, eyes riveted on McKay. John guessed that their mouths had gone dry too.

***

Sometimes there wasn't even time for a power bar and he and Rodney ended up skipping breakfast altogether. That never meant anything good. The way the morning had started, this was going to be no breakfast day. 

The distress call came in before he’d even had time to roll out of bed and pull his pants on. Hell the sun wasn't even up yet. He struggled with his belt buckle one handed while fitting his earwig into place with the other. "Sheppard here. Rodney, talk to me."

"Sheppard, thank god. We have three people stuck in one of the rooms on a lower level. They were investigating the probable location of a leak when the structure buckled and now the door is jammed and the water level inside is rising."

"How much time do they have?" 

"Fifteen minutes at best. Radek is working on the system trying to bring the sump pumps in that section online. But that's not the only problem. I don't have to tell you how cold the water is this time of year."

"You're saying hypothermia is a risk." 

"Not a risk. A guarantee. I've been trying to raise the temperature in that section, but it's not going to be enough." Very quietly, he added, "John, I sent them in there. It should be me not…."

"Stop right there. This is not your fault." Rodney's quiet, _hrump_ on the other end of the line wasn't exactly acknowledgement that John was right, but he'd take it for now. "Rodney, can you start the pumps manually?"

"I could if that entire area wasn't underwater. Assuming the water hasn't shorted out the system, which it probably has."

"I have an idea. Meet me in the Jumper bay."

John had to give it to him, Rodney must have run the entire way because he was already waiting for him – out of breath but waiting when John got there. 

With no time to waste, John flew the jumper up through the aperture and brought her to a hover over the section of ocean nearest to the trapped scientists. "Ready?"

Rodney flashed John his _oh, shit_ look but he nodded yes. The only concession he made to his nerves was in the way he gripped his bag of spare crystals.

"Hang on." John carefully took the jumper beneath the waves and brought it up underneath the city. A look at the overhead display assured him he was directly in front of the damaged room. With a graceful underwater turn, he backed the jumper up as close to the damage as he dared. "Can you reach the controls for the sump pump from here?"

"Now you ask," Rodney huffed, but since he was already moving toward the back of the jumper, John took it as a yes.

Raising the shield, he opened the hatch. Rodney, pale but resolute, walked to the edge of the ramp. The shield kept a protective bubble of air around him as he worked.

"Okay, I've replaced the crystals, thankfully without electrocuting either of us, and it should work. But it's not going to do much good to pump water out if we can't stop the leak."

"I have an idea about that too. Just turn them on and get back in here." 

Hatch closed, Rodney made his way back to his seat, brushing against John for a heartbeat longer than strictly necessary. "It's working." He checked his watch and frowned. "Time for that great idea of yours."

John maneuvered the jumper to where he could extend the shield and prevent the ocean from reaching the damaged room. Rodney sat up straight in his chair. "Oh. Why didn't I think of that?"

"We still have to get the door open, but there's time now."

"Not quite." Rodney open the comm. "Radek, you should see a marked decrease in the water level – thanks to Colonel Sheppard. Have you been able to raise the temperature of the room?"

"We are working on it, Rodney. I should have it at any time…ah, yes! They will be warm soon. Perhaps we will even have the door open by the time you get back. We could not risk explosives before without flooding the whole section, but now perhaps –"

"Hold your horses, Zelenka. McKay and I are stuck here using the jumper's shield as a patch, so I'd appreciate if you didn't dig out the explosives." 

"Ah yes. Wise thinking, Colonel. We should have the door open soon. I will explain the situation to Dr. Weir and have her approve an engineering crew for repairs as soon as we have access."

"You do that." John turned to share a grin with Rodney. "We'll be waiting. I should warn you – don't take too long. McKay hasn't eaten breakfast and I'd like to get back with all my limbs intact."

"Very funny, Colonel," Rodney huffed. His stomach growled. "Um, I don't suppose you happened to bring any food with you?"

No, John hadn't brought any food. There hadn't been time to even think of it. He patted his shirt pocket even though he knew he didn't have any power bars tucked away. He caught Rodney's eye and shook his head no. He could suggest searching in the back for an MRE but stopped short. 

The two of them were alone in the jumper for an undetermined length of time. Watching Rodney eat might not be such a good idea. He'd seen the enthusiastic way Rodney ate a power bar. John shifted in his seat.

It's not like John ever thought about McKay that way. Thought about his mouth stretched around John's cock, sucking hard before pulling off to catch his breath and licking his lips. There'd be a glimmer of precome at one corner, and Rodney's would swipe his tongue across it. He'd meet John's eyes and give him a smug – deservedly so – grin before leaning down and sucking him back in deep, deep enough that John could feel the muscles of Rodney's throat working… because he would never think such a thing.

Avoiding Rodney's gaze, John opened a channel to Atlantis. "Dr. Zelenka, you might want to hurry things along." 

***

"You missed breakfast and lunch." John stood in Rodney's doorway holding a tray of food.

"I was busy. Someone had to check that the seams would hold and then there was that business of waiting in the infirmary to make sure my scientists were all right. Since none of them were sheep, someone had to be there to keep Carson on his toes."

"I'm sure he appreciated it, Rodney." It had been touch and go with Dr. Finley. Tall, and skinny as a beanpole, he'd been the most affected by the cold water. Rodney hadn't left the infirmary until Carson assured him that Finley would make a full recovery. John didn’t think it was a coincidence that it was something Rodney had started doing since Brendan Gall. 

"I brought you dinner." John gently waved the tray under Rodney's nose. 

"Waffles and bacon?" 

"Sure, why not? There's enough for both of us." It occurred to John, albeit belatedly, that he hadn't had to outline his plan to use the jumper's shield. Rodney had immediately understood, even going so far as to bring extra crystals along. They were immediately on the same page, saving time and lives because of it. 

As he watched Rodney pour the syrup over his waffles, he wondered if what else they might be on the same page with.

Taking a chance, John poured his own syrup. He slid his thumb deliberately through the sticky mess and brought it up to his mouth. Eyes never leaving Rodney's face, he began licking the syrup off. 

Rodney's eyes grew round. He stared at John, meal forgotten.

"You might want to ease up on that choke-hold you have on that fork before your hand cramps, McKay – Rodney." John leaned in. 

"You…." Rodney dropped his fork in favor of curling his fingers in John's shirt. "This? With me?"

"Oh fuck yes." John leaned in and kissed Rodney's mouth. Sweet, slightly sticky and maple flavored, it beat the hell out of waffles. 

Yep, breakfast was definitely turning out to be the best meal of the day.


End file.
